Many times people tell me things like “Well, I would be vegan if it was more convenient,” or “I can’t be vegan because I don’t have the time to cook for myself all of the time.”

Actually, there are lots of non-fussy vegan options in this vast universe. Here we shall discuss the stir fry.

The protein dish can be as easy or demanding as you like. I didn’t pre-plan my most recent stir fry when I made it, so I hadn’t marinated anything. Marinating is a cool thing to do if you have ten minutes to kill or you need to unwind from a long day, because you are sowing seeds for tomorrow’s or the next day’s awesome side of tempeh or tofu. I will be happy to devote a whole post to making marinades in the near future. But as I said, the last time I decided to make a quick stir-fry, I didn’t have anything like that ready. Instead, I crumbled a package of tempeh with curry powder and garlic, let it brown in the pan, and served it atop stir fried beet root, carrot, onion, pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and kale. With the right knife, the veggies take all of ten minutes to clean and chop, and ten additional minutes to saute. I seasoned mine with ginger, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, a touch of cumin, salt, and pepper.

I didn’t cook any grains because it was getting late and they’re not always needed. Sometimes I follow the ideas of ‘food combining,’ which basically suggest that most carbs and proteins aren’t properly digested when eaten together. I do find that my digestion and energy levels improve if I’ve made sure to food combine for a few days. Anyway, leaving the grain out makes for an even quicker, easier meal to cook!

So remember, chop-chop and sizzle the stir fry when you’re drained, stressed, or in a hurry.